Percussion constitutes the oldest and most diverse instrumental family of the orchestra. Morphologically, it encompasses any instrument whose sound is produced through impact, friction, or shaking. It is divided into two main constructive categories: instruments whose vibrating surface is a membrane stretched over a resonance box (such as timpani, snare drum, or bass drum) and instruments whose own solid and rigid structure vibrates (such as cymbals, xylophone, or triangle), traditionally constructed from wood, metal, or ceramic.
Acoustically, percussion is subdivided into instruments of definite and indefinite pitch. The former produce structured harmonic frequencies, allowing for the execution of precise musical notes and melodies. The latter generate inharmonic sound spectra and complex transients, primarily functioning as rhythmic markers, dynamic punctuations, or timbral color effects.
Historically, although fundamental in all human cultures since prehistory, their integration into Western classical music was gradual. In the Classical period, timpani were the only regular percussion in the orchestra. During the 19th and 20th centuries, orchestral expansion and the influence of global cultures radically transformed the section, incorporating a vast array of instruments that conferred upon percussionists a role of immense technical demand and sonic versatility.
Teachers
Courses with this instrument
Pedro Branco
Percussion, Ensemble Class
Pedro Branco was born on October 1, 1993, having started his musical life at the age of 6 at the Sociedade Filarmónica Artistas de Minerva de Loulé. He deepened his Percussion studies at the Conservatório Joly Braga Santos, in Portimão, in the class of Prof. Vasco Ramalho, later moving on to the University of Évora to complete his Bachelor's degree in Music with Prof. Eduardo Lopes. Over the years, he participated in various Percussion Festivals in Portimão, having attended workshops with teachers such as Ludwig Albert, Lin Chin Cheng, Rui Gomes, among others.
In 2011, he won the Best Student award at the Academia de Música de Lagos, in the Anatólio Falé Music Competition. He collaborates regularly with the group “Ao Luar Teatro”, having already provided musical direction for several theatrical plays, with the Orquestra Clássica do Sul and various Philharmonic Bands.
He is a founding member of several groups, including Al-Fanfare, Dizmove, among others. Currently, he is finishing a Master's in Music Education in Évora, teaching percussion at the Sociedade Filarmónica Artistas de Minerva de Loulé, at the Conservatório de Música de Loulé, and at the Conservatório Regional do Baixo Alentejo. He has a social project involving a Traditional Bass Drum Orchestra in the village of Alte named "Rufos" and is the Conductor of the Sociedade Filarmónica Artistas de Minerva de Loulé. Since 2015, he has carried out various activities related to Music for Babies in several schools and municipalities.
Born in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Vasco Ramalho holds a Master's degree in Percussion/Performance (2024) and a Bachelor's degree in Percussion/Teaching (2005) from the University of Évora, in the class of Prof. Dr. Eduardo Lopes. He completed a postgraduate degree in solo marimba at the Royal Conservatory Antwerp – Belgium, in the class of Dr. Ludwig Albert (2008).
He is the artistic director of the Évora International Percussion Festival, Portimão Percussion Days, and the Artes S(em)Palco Festival in Reguengos de Monsaraz. In 2017, he released his first CD, Vasco Ramalho - Essências de Marimba, Fados & Choros, and in 2025, the CD “Atão” – Music for marimba by Algarve composers.
As a teacher, he teaches at the Conservatório de Música de Loulé and is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Évora. Since 2013, he has been an Adams artist, one of the leading brands of percussion instruments in the world. He is a PhD candidate in Music and Musicology at the University of Évora. In 2023, he was awarded the cultural merit medal by the municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz.